The Progressive Happy Hour: Mental Health and the Progressive Movement

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Last week’s high-profile news of the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain by suicide focused a spotlight on the stigma often associated with mental health and health care.

In the June 15 episode of “The Progressive Happy Hour,” co-hosts Christin “Cici” Battle and Drew Courtney sat down with Lizet Ocampo, PFAW’s political director, to discuss how progressive activists can openly discuss and destigmatize mental health in our communities, in the workplace, and in the political sphere.

Cultural and economic differences often create barriers to both discussing mental health in our communities and accessing treatment, Lizet noted. “[Recent research shows that] one in four Latina teens thought about suicide and nearly one in six had attempted suicide.” She also emphasized that attacks on the Affordable Care Act are attacks on the mental health care access that millions of Americans rely upon to get the treatment they need.

Lizet encouraged activists to fight for policies that ensure accessible and affordable mental health care: “We need to put pressure on our elected officials that this is a top priority; it should be part of their platforms and should be part of how we measure their success.”

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